Body found near Mengalum island amid Sabah sunken boat search, awaits verification

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia -- Malaysian authorities said on Saturday that a female body has been found in waters off Mengalum island, where the ill-fated tourist boat carrying 31 people set out for and capsized afterwards on Feb. 28.

Adama Aziz, a regional official of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, told reporters on Saturday that the body, which was in red shirt and black trousers, was found by a fisherman 13 nautical miles from the sinking boat's last known position.

Aziz said further verification is needed to confirm whether the body belong to the six missing persons, which include five Chinese citizens and a Malaysian crewmember.

The police will take over the verification process, possibly through post-mortem work, said Aziz.

Noting that the search and rescue operation continues for the missing persons, which covers an area of 1,900 square nautical miles, Aziz said search focus will be on the area where the body was discovered.